With the next Matrix release not scheduled for another six months or so, it seems that Wesley Snipes will have to quench our thirst for leather-clad leading men and shiny metal weaponry. Blade II reacquaints both comic-book and big-screen fans with the tale of the half-human half-vampire who has taken a vow to protect humanity from becoming victims of a "blood-drenched apocalypse." This time around, he must team up with his lustful brethren to fight the most powerful vampire hybrid race, the Reapers, who offer equal opportunity when it comes to whom they choose to eat.

Blade and his aging compatriot Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), along with a specialized vampire task force called the Blood Pack, must now put their pasts behind them in order to fight this common foe. Snipes knows his character well, or what little there is of it, and he attempts to explore yet another aspect of Blade's persona -- emotions. To balance director Guillermo del Toro's overkill of CGI technology, Blade had no choice but to cultivate a heart of gold. At the Apple Valley, Entertainment, Flagship, Hoyts Providence 16, Opera House, Showcase, and Tri-Boro cinemas.